One out of ten persons in Ghana spends more than 30 minutes to access improved sources of drinking water, according to UNICEF.

In the North Tongu District of the Volta Region, over 16 communities have had to choose between coffee-colored water from old wells and the Volta River which is neither clean nor pure.

The Volta River is one of Ghana’s monumental aqua tourist sites.

The river flows quietly through communities, providing sustenance for households, backyard farms and livestock.

For several generations and years, the Volta River has been a salvation and the go-to water source.

In Mepe, Torklpornu, Abinu, Vokpo, Korvelenu, Lenu Venu, Keeta and about nine more communities in the North Tongu District, the pursuit of clean water is more of a struggle than a choice.

In these communities, residents journey in the quest to find clean water, typically made to choose between the murky, brown liquid from old wells, broken boreholes and the river which is neither clean nor pure.

The aged residents who cannot take the pain of walking miles to the river employ the services of tricycle riders who charge a fee carrying the yellow containers infamously called "Kufuor gallon".

Schoolchildren carry these containers filled with water from the river. They are heavy, not just in weight but a task to complete every morning before they show up for school.

They risk being late for school, for the survival of their households.

In the wake of these struggles, pollution crept in, as residents point to waste disposal and open defecation which silently poison the water.

Eugene Ansah is an environmentalist and a researcher at the Department of Chemistry at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

He evaluated that the continued consumption of contaminants found in polluted rivers may expose consumers to health complications including nervous system attacks.  

Community members who spoke to Luv FM, are rallying together to advocate for their right to clean water.

Assemblymember of Degorme electoral area, Pythias Agbemor Normenyo, appeals to authorities to come to the aid of disadvantaged communities.

Eugene Ansah recommends domestic water treatment undertakings for households in urgent situations.